


A Gift Just for You

by CreativeSweets



Category: Naruto
Genre: Birthday Presents, Denial of Feelings, Enemies to Lovers, First Crush, First Kiss, Getting Together, Love Confessions, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pre-Slash, Uchiha Izuna Lives, Warring States Period (Naruto)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-10
Updated: 2020-02-19
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:08:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,947
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22656016
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CreativeSweets/pseuds/CreativeSweets
Summary: If Izuna could have one single wish, it would be that the Senju would STOP picking a fight with themon his birthday.---------------In which Tobirama bears gifts and Izuna is still Izuna.
Relationships: Senju Tobirama/Uchiha Izuna
Comments: 121
Kudos: 508





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy birthday Izuna! :D

Izuna woke up as a band of sunlight fell over his face. He stretched for a long moment before flopping back onto the bed, content.

Well, until he realized that today was his birthday.

Then he groaned and rolled over, tugging the blanket back over his head. He could hope for an uneventful day, but that was a fool’s hope. Even now, he could hear the frantic footsteps of whatever poor messenger was running themselves ragged, could hear the way they stopped and knocked politely, yet urgently, on the front door.

And Madara, who _also_ knew exactly what the messenger would say, stuck his traitor head in his room.

“Noooo.”

“Izuna,” Nii-san sung in that irritating voice, “It’s time to get up and see your favorite Senju!”

Izuna threw his pillow.

It missed spectacularly, and Madara’s laughter echoed as he went down the hall. Izuna sat up and grumbled. He didn’t _want_ to go fight on his birthday! Especially not with the Senju!

It took another round of stretching before Izuna finally found his way to his closet. And then another mental pep talk before Izuna went to grab his sword from his rack, pausing to run his fingers along the collection of kunai, shuriken, and even a small dagger that _somehow_ all found their way onto his person after each fight with Tobirama on his birthday, that definitely were not Uchiha design.

“Bastard.” Izuna said, completely and utterly NOT fondly. 

Oh, Izuna was sure that Tobirama knew it was his birthday. Why else would there always, without fail, be a skirmish with the Senju on this date, year after year? Why else would he find little trinkets set in his clothing year after year? Just last year, there was a battle the day before his birthday, and typically there was at least _one_ rest day between clashes. So Izuna thought that he’d finally, _finally_ have his birthday to himself. 

But nope. Izuna went out with a twisted ankle, faced down that stupid pale Senju and later found that stupid dagger, still in its sheath, tucked securely between his sword holster and himself.

(Izuna still had no idea how that dagger got there, and that annoyed the shit out of him _to this very day_.)

And now he’s headed back out, a full year later.

The smirks Madara kept sending him on the way made Izuna scowl even more. Madara could run into a tree now. Really, that would be a splendid birthday present. But of course they made it to the battlefield without incident.

Izuna’s heart really was not in the battle, and his blade hit Tobirama’s with as little enthusiasm as he could muster. Which was, not surprisingly, very little. At least he didn’t have to worry about his facial expression. In fact, it probably was a bit _less_ severe than normal, if he was being honest.

But Tobirama struck with vigor that no man should have so early in the day, so Izuna forced himself to meet each blow. When Tobirama backed up and started forming hand seals, Izuna could only watch in confusion as the seal order suggested a _katon_ , but there was no way that Tobirama could—

Izuna blinked in further confusion when Tobirama simply drew his sword again and darted back in close. 

And then they were dancing again, and Izuna focused on keeping that terrible lightning sword away from his soft, sensitive skin. One scar was _plenty_.

(And even that was a birthday present, from two years ago. It was primarily Izuna’s fault, for not thinking the change in sword was significant.)

Tobirama’s eyes flickered to the side and Izuna knew that cue well, and jumped away and waited for Madara’s signal. No way he would start retreating until his brother said to. A moment later and a wall of flame erupted and Izuna heaved a breath, sweaty and tired and he hadn’t even had _breakfast_ yet!

Stupid Senju.

Thankfully, the trip home was quiet, and the house was in sight, which perked Izuna up even more, because the bath was so, so close.

“So what did you get?”

Izuna shot Madara a look and groaned, “Nii-san!”

An arm slung across his shoulders as they walked up to the house. “You can tell me, unless”—Madara gasped, and his voice went lower—“it’s something _private_.”

Izuna opened his mouth to tell Madara off, but then stopped, catalogued himself and his belongings, thought back to the fight and—and Tobirama didn’t come close to him, not like previous years—

“Hey.”

Izuna raised his hand absentmindedly to rub where Madara poked him between his eyebrows.

“Go take your bath, Izuna.”

Dammit, Izuna shouldn’t be feeling _disappointed_ , that’s not an emotion he should be feeling in any capacity in regards to anything _Tobirama_ was associated with. Izuna trudged up to the bath and meticulously stripped off EVERY piece of clothing—even shook them out, to his shame—yet there were no extra bits.

Brooding in the hot water was better than brooding standing, and Izuna allowed himself to take deep breaths and lay his head back to stare up at the ceiling. Closing his eyes, he sorted through the memories of the fight, replaying everything through again.

Izuna’s eyes flew open and he gasped. Those hand seals! The ones that Tobirama made yet didn’t form any jutsu!

Instinct told Izuna that he probably shouldn’t try them, least of all inside the house . . . 

But if Tobirama _really_ wanted to kill him, he would try harder than he currently was.

So Izuna scrambled out of the bath, toweled himself off roughly before darting to his room to throw on some lightweight clothes.

“Going somewhere?” Madara raised an eyebrow at him as he was on his way out the door.

“I need to test something; bath is all yours!” Izuna quickly replied and ducked away before Madara could ask any more questions.

He was only headed to the training field.

Forming the hand seals once without molding chakra, Izuna paused. Another review of his memory to _make sure_ he got them correct, and then he’s pushing chakra through, letting his training kick in and allowing the jutsu to balance itself out.

When Izuna breathed out, it _was_ flames, as expected, but they suddenly veered up, and Izuna had a single moment to think about what a terrible mistake he just made before the flames shrieked and—

Izuna gaped up at the fiery bird—a _phoenix_ —until it burst and flames fell around him. Absently, he brushed off the small bit of flames that landed on his shoulder. He blinked again, the bright spots in his vision stark against the clear sky.

Then the realization sunk in.

His left eye twitched.

“ _Fucker_.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tobirama's POV that parallels the first chapter

Tobirama might have been obsessed. 

Possibly.

He had considered it.

It wasn’t as though it prevented him from fulfilling his duties—

Most times.

Okay, it wasn’t as though it was a drain on the whole clan—

No, no, that wasn’t true, either. Tobirama made sure a skirmish happened every year. 

It was embarrassing, when Hashirama had finally figured it out. After last year, Hashirama had cornered Tobirama in the bath and asked him, completely casually, whether Tobirama always picked this day in particular. And Tobirama, relaxed by the bath and the knowledge that his gift was safely on its way back to the Uchiha compound, blurted out that it was Izuna’s birthday.

The look he got . . . 

At least Tobirama was already in the bath, and didn’t have to suffer getting soaked through with Hashirama tears. 

(And truthfully, the most embarrassing part was how _delighted_ Hashirama was, spouting nonsense about how, once peace was made, he could court Izuna in the open, traditionally. And that because their fighting seemed to be less bloody, peace should be happening soon, he could feel it! Tobirama avoided Hashirama for a week, and couldn’t look him in the eye for another.)

Even now, Tobirama cursed his older brother for putting _those_ sorts of ideas in his head. Because he had seen Touka be courted (unsuccessfully) by many, and had _heard_ Touka’s stories of the poor souls she said ‘didn’t make the cut.’ Listened with rapt attention to Touka as she spoke about what _her_ perfect courtship would look like, how it would go. 

Tobirama had _ideas_ on his own courtship and attempted not to ruminate on them except for two days out of the year. 

(It was expected of him to think of Izuna on his birthday. And Tobirama could think of whatever he wanted on his own.)

But after the dagger from last year, partly to apologize for the undoubtedly painful injury from the previous year (because Tobirama _knew_ how much getting cut by his sword fused with lighting chakra hurt), Tobirama was at a loss for the longest time as to how he would increase the value of the gift he gave Izuna.

All the shuriken, the kunai, and then the dagger . . . 

Touka had been key in discovering his newest gift.

“You want to give someone something?” Touka had raised her eyebrow.

Tobirama had given her a _hypothetical_ , and, like always, she was simply taking it for what it really was, an actual question. Then she replied with a casual, easy:

“Why don’t you get them something that you think they’ll enjoy? Perhaps something homemade or that you think represents them?”

Tobirama blinked, then hugged her in an uncharacteristic show of thanks before dashing off to his lab to write out the various ideas swirling around his head.

It took longer than Tobirama would have liked to figure out the mechanics of a standard katon no jutsu, and longer still to modify them to the correct orientation for the correct effect while not having a very adequate knowledge base himself. (There was a pitifully small amount in the Senju library.) It made predicting various effects rather difficult. That was, until Tobirama, on the fourth night of no sleep, decided to attempt the katon just _one more time_ that night. He could _taste_ how close he was and his deadline wasn’t getting any further away.

Then he really could taste it as the phoenix burst straight from his mouth and died a very pitiful death seconds later.

Tobirama lifted himself onto his elbows from his new position on the floor, noted the burning target and the rather weak flame trail of already dying embers on the stone, used one hand to smother the fires with some water, before falling back to the ground to finally sleep.

The next time he woke up, he finished the katon in under five hours.

Of course, he didn’t _name_ the jutsu, despite being its creator; it wasn’t meant for HIM, so that would simply be part of the gift to Izuna. Tobirama was aware that being _excited_ to give his enemy a jutsu that could wind up being used against him was wrong, but it wasn’t as though Izuna used any of Tobirama’s previous gifts against him!

(Tobirama would know, since they have a rather unique design that he created and would be easily spotted.)

The day of, Tobirama waited patiently. The sun had just completely cleared the horizon when Tobirama dropped on top of an Uchiha patrol and whipped some water around. Just enough to send a message.

Then he raced home to tell Hashirama.

He had gotten away with this for years, and really, the only one who might have actually suspected something (asides from Hashirama) would be Izuna himself, given how poorly he fought compared to their typical encounters. That simply meant that Tobirama didn’t have a hard time reverse pick-pocketing Izuna to plant his gifts for Izuna to find.

This year, Izuna looked almost, almost _bored_ and Tobirama tried not to let that affect him. Clearly it was because the fight was happening the earliest it ever had, Tobirama’s impatience finally showing through. Izuna probably enjoyed sleeping in; Tobirama would have to apologize next year and lock his desire to battle Izuna and gift him down further, and engage them later on in the day.

Izuna’s visible confusion pleased Tobirama as he carefully formed the hand seals and allowed his chakra to flow up until the last moment, and then he painfully disengaged, quickly diverting the built-up chakra outwards in his sensing. It hurt, but that was a momentary distraction as he lunged forward with his sword again.

They fell into a rhythm again, if a little slower than normal. But Tobirama didn’t mind; it was _Izuna’s_ birthday, after all.

Then Hashirama’s chakra flared and Tobirama helped cover their retreat. He felt lighter, now that his jutsu was in Izuna’s head, and hopefully fingers. Hashirama gave him a pat on the back when they got home, and headed to the bath first. Tobirama sat on the shaded part of the engawa and focused his sensing towards the veritable bonfire that the Uchiha compound made.

It took a few minutes to sort through them all to pick out Izuna, and he smiled when he felt that chakra move rapidly, away from the rest. He held his breath, waiting for— _there!_ —the flicker and shaping of a high-level jutsu. 

Tobirama almost wished that he followed Izuna; he wanted to see the katon in experienced hands. Perhaps, since it was a jutsu, Izuna would use it against him in a skirmish? Perhaps in answer to his water dragon? He refocused to stop the blush that wanted to form at the thought. 

Izuna hadn’t moved, and Tobirama hoped that meant something good. 

“Tobirama! Bath is all yours!”

Idly, as Tobirama got up to finally take his bath, he wondered what Izuna’s face looked like.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy birthday Tobirama!!

Izuna's legs had gone numb by the time Madara had come out to find him and drag him back to the main house for a celebratory lunch. Madara was suspiciously quiet throughout the entire trip back to the house, but Izuna quickly forgot about it in the loud festivities. 

He remembered too late, however, when Madara and him were having tea after a light dinner.

“So, what _did_ you get this year from your favorite Senju?”

“Who said I got anything!” Izuna blurted out quickly, too quickly.

“Ah, I see, so it _is_ something private.” Madara teased.

“I DIDN’T SAY THAT. TOBIRAMA’S NOT _OBLIGATED_ TO GET ME SOMETHING EVERY YEAR!”

“It’s ‘Tobirama’ now, is it?”

“ _Nii-san_!”

Madara laughed, his whole body shaking and Izuna managed a few chuckles himself. 

Izuna lifted his cup, resolutely staring at the table. “Tobirama did get me something this year.”

Madara hummed, but thankfully moved on to a different topic.

It took a week for the realization to fully sink in, and Izuna, currently testing the sharpness of the previous years’ gifts, stopped cold. Gently, he placed the dagger from last year down. Then, he walked to the other side of his room, lifted his pillow from where it sat on top of his folded futon, buried his face into it, and screamed.

And then Izuna promptly put all his gifts from Tobirama away—gently, despite them being _weapons_ —before he trekked downstairs on the hunt for a relaxing cup of tea. Izuna must have zoned out, because the next thing he knew Madara was sitting across from him and pouring more tea into his now empty cup.

“What’s got you looking like that, Izuna? Someone give you a blank scroll as a report again?” Madara teased.

Izuna furrowed his brow.

“Ah, so it’s actually serious.” Madara took a sip of his tea and Izuna automatically copied him.

Silence.

“Nii-san,” Izuna started slowly, still mulling over his revelation, “How do you know if someone likes you?”

Izuna saw the smirk Madara covered up with his cup.

“If they don’t outright tell you,” Madara eventually said, “then they might give you gifts, if they’re not shy.”

“What if the gift they give you tells you that they like you?”

More silence. 

Izuna resolutely stared at the table. 

An annoyed huff. “You just answered your own question, brat.”

“But—” Izuna cut himself off.

“‘What should I do about it?’” Madara guessed.

Izuna nodded.

“It depends on whether you like them back. Since you haven’t run off to declare your marriage in the middle of the compound—”

“That was _one_ time when I was _six_!”

“—it’s clear that you actually _do_ care about them.” Madara finished with a smirk. 

“Hmph!” Izuna crossed his arms as a blush covered his face.

“So, now that they know you like them back—”

Izuna tried very, very hard to keep his shoulders down, yet they raised all on their own, a symbol of his guilt.

“You _have_ let them know you share their feelings, yes?”

Izuna’s gaze wandered somewhere to the left.

“Izuna!”

“I know!” Izuna snapped back.

And he _did_ know. Uchiha typically didn’t allow themselves to keep the beginnings of deeper feelings to themselves, nor did they lead people on. Nothing good ever came of it, and for Uchiha who loved someone outside the clan, they moved on, most times.

(Izuna didn’t want to think about what it would mean for his survival rates should Tobirama begin to think he was stringing him along—albeit unintentionally—for _at least_ three years.)

“Three days.” Madara said, and it was both advice and a warning.

Izuna simply nodded. Considering how that mess of a conversation went, he was lucky enough to receive even that much of a time limit.

And as with anything on a time limit that spanned _days_ , he promptly pushed off worrying about it for the rest of today.

There were three _whole_ days left, after all. 

The next day, Izuna thought, fairly early on, that he should at least come up with a plan of attack—er, confrontation? meeting? talking?—and was satisfied with the progress he made so far. He thought about it, at least! That counted as doing something! And really, he _wanted_ to think more on it, truly, but somehow his help was needed the majority of the day, and the last thing Izuna really wanted to think about was his impending terror of a conversation he needed to have with _Senju Tobirama_.

So he simply took his bath and slept soundly knowing that there were two more days left.

Izuna woke up to an unmitigated disaster. Said disaster came in the form of a scroll that was unceremoniously dropped in front of him after such a lovely breakfast.

“You need to go run the outer patrols tomorrow.”

That would take _all day_ —and a large majority of the night, too! Because outer patrols didn’t just skirt by the neutral lands, sticking by the Uchiha side of things, but instead went through it. Izuna looked up, ready to protest, only to shut his mouth when he saw Madara’s face. 

Unwavering. Absolutely stubborn.

“This doesn’t get you out of what we talked about a couple days ago.”

Izuna groaned and nearly told Madara just _who_ it was that he needed to go ‘have a chat’ with. Instead he dropped his face onto the scroll.

“Ink’s still wet.”

Izuna squawked.

Madara cackled while Izuna pouted.

“I’m sure your mysterious gift-giver won’t mind you suddenly dropping by to talk.”

Izuna snorted. Oh, Izuna wasn’t sure about _that_. A hand dropped on Izuna’s shoulder _hard_ and he hid a wince with a smile. 

“You know what has to happen if you don’t.”

Madara didn’t even wait for an acknowledgement before walking off. Izuna sighed. As much as he didn’t _quite_ want to face Tobirama, he didn’t want to be forced through genjutsu to come clean. At least he could keep his reputation and the information somewhat contained if he just, figured out a way to get into contact with Tobirama. Today. On short notice.

Izuna blanched. What if Tobirama wasn’t even IN the Senju compound today? It hadn’t been THAT long since Izuna’s birthday skirmish, surely Tobirama would still be in the compound and not out on a mission, right?

That settled it: Izuna would be heading towards the Senju tonight. And also hoping that he wouldn’t be attacked on sight. Of course, if he _was_ attacked, maybe he could get out of patrol. Hm.

Izuna excused himself directly before dinner and tried not to snap back when all Madara gave him a knowing smirk. If Izuna made it back, he was going to put a fish or something equally cold and wet in Madara’s bed for him to find.

In the dark, running straight towards the nearest part of Senju lands, Izuna had second thoughts about all of this. Perhaps it would be better to just sit here for a few hours and then return? Maybe he could just pretend—

Lost in thought, Izuna runs right into Senju Tobirama on the bank of the river.

And since Izuna was completely unprepared to run right into a _wall_ , and it was also clear that _Tobirama_ didn’t think he’d be _run into_ , they both go down in an unattractive tangle with yelps of surprise.

Instinct kicked in for both of them, and they caught each other to bring the other down with them into the cold water.

(Now, Izuna wanted to give Tobirama the benefit of the doubt here, since Tobirama only gripped Izuna’s arms _after_ Izuna grabbed his shirt, but if Izuna was going to be taking a midnight swim in freezing water, he wasn’t doing it alone!)

“Tob—Tobira—rama!” Izuna’s teeth chattered terribly as the cold water shocked his system.

Izuna’s grip tightened on Tobirama when the other started moving, because it became apparent rather quickly that Tobirama knew how to swim.

(It’s not that Izuna didn’t _like_ the water, he just, never really thought learning how to swim would ever be necessary, given how he could walk on _top_ of the water.)

“Quit squirming.”

Izuna wanted to shout that he wasn’t _squirming_ he was _drowning_ but all he could do was cling harder and trust that Tobirama wouldn’t drown himself just to drown Izuna as well.

( _No_ , Izuna was NOT thinking about the strong arm clasped around his waist.)

Tobirama ducked down and Izuna flailed despite being told not to. Except the arm on his waist shifted and then Izuna felt another arm underneath his knees and—

Stupid, _tall_ Senju! Tobirama clearly was standing, where Izuna couldn’t touch the bank. Izuna huffed, which only made Tobirama’s lips twitch. But the way his clothing stuck to him, with the chill in the air, took priority. That is, until Tobirama flicked his fingers, which called most of the water out of their clothing.

Show-off.

Two could play at that game. Izuna called upon his inner flame, and painstakingly made his numb fingers obey him.

The phoenix circled them once before spiraling higher and Izuna took in the surprise in Tobirama’s now very well-lit, handsome face. Naturally _his_ phoenix would be better than anything Tobirama could have slapped together!

Bright flame hisses and Izuna looked up to see a miniature water dragon nipping at the phoenix’s tail. They both twirled and danced around each other a few times before they simultaneously burst, raining small bits of flame and droplets down.

“Why am _I_ the phoenix?” Izuna said at last.

The question seemed to startle Tobirama out of where he was still staring up at the sky.

“There was already a dragon . . . ” Tobirama trailed off as his cheeks turned pink.

Well, if _that_ wasn’t permission, Izuna would eat his own sandal. So, sporting his own blush, Izuna leaned up and met Tobirama halfway.

"I accept," Izuna breathed over those soft lips once they separated.

"Ah?"

"Ah," Izuna agreed and kissed Tobirama again, fists resolutely still tangled in Tobirama's shirt.

**Author's Note:**

> And now with lovely art you can find [here](https://good-grievance.tumblr.com/post/634240293530632192/a-gift-for-creative-sweets-for-the-fic-a-gift) (tumblr link)


End file.
